The BID sent out a request for proposals, seeking a contractor to clean up and maintain the area. They hope to choose a contractor soon, and begin the concert series in August on Thursday nights, featuring local performers such as Baysider Michael Kormusis, who goes by the stage name The Mikey K Project.

Because the area is small, officials don’t expect to draw a big crowd, but to attract people to the area and nearby Bell Boulevard as they commute.

“What we are looking to do with that property is to have a pass-by space to slow people down as they are getting on or off the train,” said Lyle Sclair, the executive director of the BID.

Since two years ago, the BID has used the space for its holiday lighting show by dressing up the spot’s evergreen, and adding a nativity scene and menorah. In the future, they plan to collaborate with local organizations to promote services and add other activities.

In the meantime, BID officials are just focused on cleaning up the property, which is unkempt with an uncut lawn.

“Right now we just want to make sure the property look good,” Sclair said. “We just don’t want it to be a dead space in the community.”

“We’re excited,” said Lyle Sclair, the BID’s executive director. “It really just provides an opportunity for people to plan a day to just stroll up and down Bell Boulevard and see what they have in their backyard.”

The outdoor art show will be held April 26 from noon to 5 p.m. near the Bayside Long Island Rail Road station.

A bellicose battle on Bell Boulevard is coming to an end with the close of the Bayside Village BID’s contentious election.

Mitchell Catanzano won a spot on the board as the sole residential member, beating out former executive director Gregg Sullivan. Catanzano earned his first seat on the board with two proxy votes, according to the BID’s executive director Lyle Sclair, while Sullivan only had one after voting for himself.

A mix up involving two proxy votes during the initial July 16 election caused controversy within the board and its candidates, when Sullivan criticized the poor communication between himself and Sclair. Sullivan thought he’d be running for a Class B spot, but instead found himself on the Class C resident’s ballot.

Sullivan sent out a mass community email condemning the BID and calling for a debate last week, but he changed his tune soon after and withdrew his candidacy for a spot on the board.

“This has been really rough on me. I didn’t like the politics and how it was getting ugly,” Sullivan said. “Mitch is my friend. I stepped aside to give him a chance on the board and I’d like to move on. Right now, the best thing for Bayside is exactly what is taking place.”

Sullivan said he felt relieved in distancing himself from the BID, which he said would give him time to focus on his new business venture, BaysideLiveTV.com.

“Mitch is going to do great. I’m going to continue to serve Bayside. I couldn’t be any more pleased,” he said. “The whole town is awake and aware. They’ll be watching over the BID. It’s a great weight off my shoulders.”

Sclair said he didn’t think there was controversy in regards to the election and said the board was upfront, providing enough notification for people to sign up for nominations.

The executive director said over 40 percent of board members are serving for the first time, and he said he looks forward to a future of fresh faces.

“I think that’s a very good turnover rate. They’re already coming in with new recommendations, new suggestions,” Sclair said.

Lyle Sclair, new executive director of the Bayside Village Business Improvement District (BID), will look to bring variety to Bell Boulevard over the next several months.

The BID held a meeting on Monday to discuss Sclair’s future plans of “branding” the already popular area.

“It’s a place to conduct business,” Sclair said.

Sclair along with Chair James Riso and Councilmember Dan Halloran addressed board members, business owners and residents about upgrading the BID’s strip.

“We have a variety of shopping here on Bell,” Sclair said. “We need to bring out what your customers are looking for in a shopping environment.”

The annual board member elections were also held at the meeting, which resulted in four new uncontested members. Mark Boccia and John DeFina were elected to represent Class A property owners while David Lilienthal and Edward Teran were chosen to represent Class B commercial tenants.

Former executive director Gregg Sullivan stirred up some controversy by criticizing the poor communication between him and Sclair. Sullivan thought he’d be running for a Class B spot, but instead found himself on the Class C resident’s ballot.

Halloran quickly put an end to the controversy by proving that Sullivan did not meet the credentials for a Class B position. Due to a mix up involving the proxy votes of the election, the sole Class C position is still undetermined. Either Sullivan or Mitchell Catanzano will be elected to the final spot.

In addition, a few other individuals were unhappy with the lack of communication from Sclair and Riso, who will be stepping down from his position to join the board.

“The more the merrier,” Riso said to those who were unaware they could run for the board, encouraging them to run for a spot at next year’s election.

Sclair spoke about how an increase in communication between the board and the businesses could improve the strip. A weekly newsletter has been created under his power and improvements to the BID website are in the near future. He believes a team effort will lead them to success.

“It’s everybody together moving forward,” Sclair said.

City Comptroller John Liu also stopped by the meeting to speak about the current state of the city’s economy.

“We have to have policies that start reducing this wealth gap and start filling the middle class up,” Liu said.

Liu added that he was a critic of the city’s economic development policies but was pleased with what he saw on Bell Boulevard.

“Every time you come here, you see more businesses opening. I think that’s a good sign that the economy is going to pick up,” Liu said.

Bayside business and property owners were introduced to Lyle Sclair, the new executive director of the Bayside Village Business Improvement District (BID), who discussed plans for the BID’s future.

Sclair, who succeeded recently-ousted Gregg Sullivan, was presented to a packed room of more than 50 BID members at All Saints Church on Tuesday, May 8.

He was chosen “based on his qualifications and his ideas,” said BID Chair James Riso, who held the final interview with Sclair. “Right at the table he knew what a BID was. He came into the meeting with fresh ideas.”

Sclair holds a degree in urban planning from New York University. He has experience as an economic development associate in Brooklyn and has worked with four BIDs.

He pledged to gathered entrepreneurs that he will cooperate with them to make them money, bring more customers to Bell Boulevard and transform Bayside into “a model retail” area not only for Queens, but all of New York City.

“You have a room full of engaged business individuals who want to make a difference and want to see their businesses succeed,” Sclair said. “So I think we have a lot of opportunity to go forward.”

He gave a run-down of plans for the future, including each member getting a free expo table at the upcoming June Art Fair, an event called “Roll Up the Gate” in September to have all property owners conduct a marathon open house and a plan to get patrons to flood Bayside restaurants in October during the Queens Economic Development Corporation’s Restaurant Week.

“Once I understand your challenges we can understand what reflective strengths are to address those,” Sclair explained. “It’s my job to make you money.”

Sullivan, who was at the meeting, approved his replacement as he acknowledged the goal of the BID is to make Bayside better.

“Seems like a wonderful gentlemen,” Sullivan said. “I already wished him the best of luck, told him I would offer him my support.”

After the event, Sclair said the goal is get to another level.

“Bayside is a very good shopping district,” Sclair said. “Other communities are saying that they want to be like Bayside — they want to be better than Bayside. We have to be better than ourselves.”

Store owners on Bell Boulevard attended a meeting on April 18 organized by Gregg Sullivan – the former director of the Bayside Village Business Improvement District (BID) – to address concerns about the current state of the organization. During the meeting, the BID members in attendance voted to reappoint Sullivan, who was fired on December 19.

The merchants’ complaints included a lack of information and response from the BID’s board since Sullivan’s firing, a blurring of the line between the BID and Bayside Business Association and ambiguity regarding the allocation of funds, including a reported 30 percent increase in the organization’s original $80,000 budget. No board members attended the meeting, although Sullivan claims to have invited them all.

“Bayside got lost, and it’s been unattended to and neglected,” Sullivan said. “We need to change that now. We need to reclaim Bayside and put it in the right direction.”
Claims were also made that some owners were unaware a BID existed or that they could apply for the right to vote. According to Sullivan, there are roughly 150 businesses in the BID – which is on Bell Boulevard from 35th Avenue to Northern Boulevard – and only 29 are signed up to vote.

“We need to unify and get everyone together as merchants and real estate owners and bring this back to life. We need to have organization, structure and passion and set a one-year plan in place,” said William Degel, a BID member who organized the meeting along with Sullivan. “Nobody has done anything [since Sullivan was fired.] There is no information and no communication. It’s like everything died.”

Degel, who owns Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse on Bell Boulevard, said he expects Sullivan to be reinstated and hopes to hold a meeting with the current board to gauge their interest in making improvements and increasing transparency. In the event the board is unwilling to negotiate, replacing the members entirely was discussed during the meeting.

The motion to reinstate Sullivan was introduced by Margaret Papacostas – BID member and owner of Azure clothing store – and subsequently seconded and approved by the 16 BID voters in attendance. No one opposed the motion.

Sullivan believes he was fired after the board discovered he sent a letter to the commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) complaining about the status of the BID. Although he claims he enjoyed working for members of the board, including BID President James Riso, Sullivan feels there may be a need for the infusion of new energy.

Riso says he was never invited to the meeting, and while Sullivan was well liked by business owners and energetic to the public, he was insubordinate behind the scenes. He also feels that the attacks on the BID have taken away from the organization’s ability to focus fully on improving business in the area.

Riso, who will step down in June due to fatigue, claims the BID’s budget was still $81,368 up until December 31, 2011, and that the board did everything expected of them at that time. With the recent increase in budget, the board hopes to accomplish more, according to Riso.

“We are not hiding behind a curtain doing secret things trying to get over on people,” said Riso. “I own a business on Bell Boulevard. I pay more taxes that anyone. We welcome people to help. Instead of having these secret meetings, help out. The people making these accusations are inhibiting us from progressing.”

Despite Sullivan’s claim that he has been reinstated to his former position, the BID recently hired an executive director. Lyle Sclair, a former economic development associate with the Brooklyn Economic Development Council, was named the new executive director of the BID on April 23. “My number one objective is to meet everyone and learn the challenges they are facing. I’m not out there to recreate the wheel, but really just to help them grow their businesses,” Sclair said. “Bell Boulevard has a great mix of restaurants, nightlife and shopping. It offers everything, so if you are looking for something you will find it on Bell Boulevard.”